Review by Adirondack AccessAbility Inc., Common Sense Education | Updated February 2014

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Math Evolve: A Fun Math Game

Name: Math Evolve: A Fun Math Game
Item: Math Evolve: A Fun Math Game
Rating: 3
Author: Adirondack AccessAbility Inc.

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Action-packed arcade play has basic math-fact practice

Subjects & skills

Grades This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.

1–7

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Kids have multiple options for difficulty levels: three levels for math and three levels for gameplay.

Feedback is a simple green check for correct answers and a red X for incorrect answers.

Practice Mode also has an optional "tutor" feature to help kids find the correct answers.

As they solve math problems, kids also fend off alien attackers.

Pros: It's a great way for kids to practice mental math and math facts like multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

Cons: A component to reinforce conceptual knowledge -- not just math facts -- could offer more depth in learning.

Bottom Line: The combination of arithmetic and arcade-style gaming makes practicing math facts fun.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Math Evolve supports up to five user profiles, each profile generating statistics on the number of equations solved, the percentage correct, speed, and (in Practice Mode) students' mastery of specific multiplication and division facts. Because of this, teachers can use the app as a way to offer kids some math skills practice while also getting some valuable feedback about their skills.

In a classroom without a 1:1 device access, up to 5 accounts can be set up per iPad, thereby giving 25 kids access to their own profile using just five iPads. The app could work well in a classroom where learning stations are utilized, offering kids a chance for practice as well as a chance with a fun game. As the skills here are limited to math facts, help kids transfer what they learn by extending this learning beyond just using simple math facts. Follow time in the app with some practical, real-world math problems: calculating mileage traveled between destinations, adding the cost of multiple items, dividing cookies among family members, and the like.

What Is It?

Math Evolve is an almost seamless combination of arcade gaming and math fact practice. To be successful, students will need to know some addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts -- at times they'll be asked to do quick mental math computations. In the game, as they solve math problems, players also fend off alien attackers. The challenge increases with each level, and kids can earn bonus points for correct answers, adding weapon upgrades.

There are two modes of play in Math Evolve: Story and Practice. In Story Mode, kids enter a quest as a tiny alien animal, evolving as their math skills increase in order to save their home planet. At each of 12 levels, enemy aliens try to stop players by firing energy bolts as they try to solve math problems. In Practice Mode, there are no enemies, so kids who might have trouble multitasking (shooting aliens while doing math) can play in Story Mode's environments with less stress. Practice Mode also has an optional "tutor" feature to help kids find the correct answers. Three levels of difficulty and three speeds allow customization for different students.

Is It Good for Learning?

The fusion of arcade game, math, and beautifully designed graphics make Math Evolve an engaging app for basic math practice. Kids have multiple options for difficulty levels: three levels for math and three levels for gameplay. They can choose any or all of the basic math operations, as well as whether to include negative numbers. Kids who might have trouble multitasking -- solving math problems while evading and shooting enemies -- may prefer Practice Mode over Story Mode.

While customizable features help Math Evolve adapt to different learners, it's important to remember that it's designed as a mainstream app. Kids who can access technology by a touchscreen, who can focus well, multitask, and think on their feet will enjoy this math drill-and-practice game. However, even with the separate modes, some kids who have trouble focusing with highly visible distractions or those who have difficulty using a touchscreen aren't likely to have success.

Rating Details

Overall Rating

Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Through all of the alien-shooting action, the story, the exciting music, and the graphics will draw kids in. It's a fun way to practice math facts.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Kids should be able to transfer their mastery of math facts to school and other areas of their lives. Options to customize play are empowering. Features that go beyond just the facts would add depth to the learning.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

Instructions and visuals give directions for each new challenge. Kids can select the type of math operation, as well as difficulty level. Better feedback or progress data would be good, especially in the story mode.

Common Sense Reviewer

Adirondack AccessAbility Inc. Assistive Technology Consultants & Trainers

About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Number And Operations In Base Ten

3.NBT.2
Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.
3.NBT.3
Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range 10–90 (e.g., 9 × 80, 5 × 60) using strategies based on place value and properties of operations.
4.NBT.4
Fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.
4.NBT.5
Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number, and multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place value and the properties of operations. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.
4.NBT.6
Find whole-number quotients and remainders with up to four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.

Operations And Algebraic Thinking

1.OA.6
Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 – 4 = 13 – 3 – 1 = 10 – 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 – 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13).
1.OA.7
Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. For example, which of the following equations are true and which are false? 6 = 6, 7 = 8 – 1, 5 + 2 = 2 + 5, 4 + 1 = 5 + 2.
1.OA.8
Determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of the equations 8 + ? = 11, 5 = _ – 3, 6 + 6 = _.
2.OA.2
Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies.2 By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.
3.OA.7
Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division (e.g., knowing that 8 × 5 = 40, one knows 40 ÷ 5 = 8) or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers.

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Teacher Reviews

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Featured review by
Anitra L. , Classroom teacher

Classroom teacher

Interactive math fun with many levels!

My students enjoyed playing the game. I like the many levels the game offers because it offers differentiation. This app was great to practice addition and math skills, but it also offers multiplication and division. This is an app that grows with the students. What I loved: That I can go into the app and see how the students did with their practice. It tells how many "flights" or games the students played, total points earned, equations solved, percent correct, and how many in a row the students were a ...

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